What tool do you use to make / collect digital notes ?
So this is going to be a tough contest. One note VS Evernote !
For all my handwritten pride I'm making them online for interview now :p
Nothing i can make with my sketchpens will ever look as good as those tabs!
Printing out feels like a nice deal though - almost the best of both.
I narrowed it down either buying an iPad to enhance online reading experience or printing the notes. First one was never an option as I realised later :P so had to print them.
Vaise bhi standing in front of the printer pushing pages has been a prominent theme of this prep period for me.
My plan B is getting a job in a stationery shop :p
I am no knight. Do not call me Sir|Philosophy behind ForumIAS
Handwittten people out there, can you suggest how to organise offline notes? A4 loose sheets or notebook? and how to systematise static notes which is one time work + current which is daily add on?, Should we leave blank pages for that? ( Organisation a difficult task, but I don't want to opt for online mode) Any suggestions to optimise it?
Handwritten person here :) I never made notes for current affairs so I have no idea how to organise dynamic notes, but for static notes I used loose A4 sheets and plenty of files. Loose sheets are more flexible than notebooks. I would suggest leave a bit of a margin on the side to add points later if you come across any or to help summarize for revision. Get some highlighters or sketch pens in bulk, and use them to mark different types of things and for different rounds of revision. Occasionally you can try to read the source material and give yourself a time limit to note down points from memory - the skill required for mains.
Onenote is much better than Evernote. I don't understand why the UPSC community is stuck on Evernote - Maybe because of toppers' recommendations.
I was using Evernote for 2 years and then made the shift to Onenote. And I am not going back!
I've also used Notion. But still, Onenote wins in terms of functions, flexibility and collaboration.
How do you revise them? I used to make voice recordings for current affairs. But to study something specific, I had to listen to the whole thing again.
Or are you using this differently?
Lol, I just asked that but haven't tried, now I am thinking it would be fun to do that. But the only downside is that I am preparing from home and if my parents catches me doing something like that I fear they are going to demand a refund from me.
I too feel that one note is better than Evernote. (Sorry Newayn :p)
I am using good notes 5 and one note on iPad. It’s been 4 months of using these apps and they have made life easier. In good notes 5, I have ‘folder mein folder’ for each paper and this also helps me to limit my resources. Also, I use one note to sort current affairs topic wise.
I too used anki but not for upsc. Also there’s a flash card feature in good notes 5 as well. This caters to the active recall but not space repetition. One has to set reminder by himself/ herself. I was using notion to make environment notes (toggle button helps in active recall) but then COVID happened :(
Sharing a few screenshots ( especially one note) because it gives me some aesthetic vibe :p
Handwittten people out there, can you suggest how to organise offline notes? A4 loose sheets or notebook? and how to systematise static notes which is one time work + current which is daily add on?, Should we leave blank pages for that? ( Organisation a difficult task, but I don't want to opt for online mode) Any suggestions to optimise it?Handwritten person here :) I never made notes for current affairs so I have no idea how to organise dynamic notes, but for static notes I used loose A4 sheets and plenty of files. Loose sheets are more flexible than notebooks. I would suggest leave a bit of a margin on the side to add points later if you come across any or to help summarize for revision. Get some highlighters or sketch pens in bulk, and use them to mark different types of things and for different rounds of revision. Occasionally you can try to read the source material and give yourself a time limit to note down points from memory - the skill required for mains.
Adding to it, if I do not write something or create notes, I feel I haven't done any work. Maybe an old habit.
Adding to it, if I do not write something or create notes, I feel I haven't done any work. Maybe an old habit.
Absolutely! Nothing on a screen looks as satisfying as a 60 page file feels in my hand :D
How do you revise them? I used to make voice recordings for current affairs. But to study something specific, I had to listen to the whole thing again.
Or are you using this differently?Lol, I just asked that but haven't tried, now I am thinking it would be fun to do that. But the only downside is that I am preparing from home and if my parents catches me doing something like that I fear they are going to demand a refund from me.
Audio notes are so underrated. I often use this technique for super quick revision. In order to exctract maximum from this activity, record your voice as if you are explaining it to someone. And, speak in the language you are extremely extremely comfortable. For example, suppose I intend to revise Polity ka parliament wala chapter. Now, I will open Telegram. Put the heading. And will record the most confusing part of that chapter in Hindlish (my comfort language- 60 % English, and 40 % HIndi to be precise). Telegram also helps you in four ways. Pehla-You can index your chapters and subjects in a single chat.For this use the hash tag feature. This will ensure that you can cross record chapters frm different subjects in a single chat. Doosra- While listening your ausio notes,you can increase the speed.This helps in reducing cringe quotent of your voice@Villanelle ) and will keep you awake@whatonly ). Teesra- Suppose there are 20 audio notes from a chapter,Telegram will autoplay all the noteswithout your manual intervention. And this saves a lot of time. Chautha- TG will cloud based, thus you can listen to this kahi bhi, across the platform.
@mehuifs Once I was recording the First chapter of art and culture- wo jo painting wala jo chapter hai NCERT mai. I was harmlessly alone in my room. And suddenly my mom entered. And I was literally at that time saying this- "warli painting jungle ke log banate they. iss painting mei, sab log ek doosrey ka haath pakad ke naach rahey hai". To this my mom said- "akele akele kya badbada raha hai"
Me when I listen to my own voice
For all my handwritten pride I'm making them online for interview now :p
Nothing i can make with my sketchpens will ever look as good as those tabs!
Printing out feels like a nice deal though - almost the best of both.
I narrowed it down either buying an iPad to enhance online reading experience or printing the notes. First one was never an option as I realised later :P so had to print them.
Vaise bhi standing in front of the printer pushing pages has been a prominent theme of this prep period for me.
My plan B is getting a job in a stationery shop :p
Mam, resume bhejun? 2 Yrs of making notes , taking printouts-ekdum fine quality and nahin aaye toh wapas lena , but ekdum fine quality lena, have knowledge of every pen, tried each one of them - know bits of them ki kitna chalta , kaisi speed all. Which sketchpens are nice , how they work - har cheez madam.
And moreover a having senior(if you already work in someone else ki shop) orseth(if your own shop) would do wonders. :)
With such a wonderful notemaking journey, plan B ki aapko kya zarurat :D
one problem with microsoft products is you never know when they will pull the plug out, or change their software completely. I relied on edge browser for reading epub books and it was very efficient with highlighting, search, notes, book marks and all. But they killed its epub feature last year or so and now all my notes and highlights are gone. similarly they killed their Groove music and now advertise spotify on their music player. they also tried to rival twitch with mixer and now they have abandoned that as well. Not to forget their biggest betrayal - the windows phone. the list so so long. Microsoft works like a psu , it has so much money it takes up random projects that it never manages to finish.
Adding to it, if I do not write something or create notes, I feel I haven't done any work. Maybe an old habit.
Absolutely! Nothing on a screen looks as satisfying as a 60 page file feels in my hand :D
I’m somewhere in between, making notes using OneNote felt liberating. Made all of them section wise like the person above has done. But re-reading and revising them? God! Maut aati thi :P
Had to print them eventually. Now feels nice to highlight them or scribble on them, revision has also been easier. Old habits die hard.
I too feel that one note is better than Evernote. (Sorry Newayn :p)
I am using good notes 5 and one note on iPad. It’s been 4 months of using these apps and they have made life easier. In good notes 5, I have ‘folder mein folder’ for each paper and this also helps me to limit my resources. Also, I use one note to sort current affairs topic wise.
I too used anki but not for upsc. Also there’s a flash card feature in good notes 5 as well. This caters to the active recall but not space repetition. One has to set reminder by himself/ herself. I was using notion to make environment notes (toggle button helps in active recall) but then COVID happened :(
Sharing a few screenshots ( especially one note) because it gives me some aesthetic vibe :p
Are you a God or Goddess? This is amazing collection?
Can I buy your notes :P
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